


Allies

by clockworkgirl221



Series: The Communicator [2]
Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Budding Romance, F/M, GERT-I, M/M, Talking Planes, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-24
Updated: 2012-03-24
Packaged: 2017-11-02 10:45:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/368133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clockworkgirl221/pseuds/clockworkgirl221
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Calli follows Martin to MJN, Carolyn and Arthur have been given a heads up, Douglas is skeptical, and Martin is the cause of a smooth flight to Brazil.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Allies

Martin went about his morning ritual normally after his Initiation Rites were over. There was one hour of the ritual that his family would often use to practice spells or to commune with their familiars and other spirits.

Because of the Fae-blood running through the newer generations of the Crieffs, the children and grandchildren could see more paranormal things such as their own Kin. Witches could all ready see vampires and werewolves and those more earthly supernatural entities, but with Fae blood, they could see Faes and Angels, too. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Angelina Crieff, matriarch of the great Clan, had married the half-Fae Samuel.

Martin would have read during that one hour of time left before he would get in his dad’s old van and drive to the airfield, but now that he had a familiar and a Path, he sat with his familiar in the cramped quarters of the attic, and listened to his familiar’s teaching about the Path that chose him.

Since Communication was a Listening and Speaking Path, instead of the Practical Path like Healing or brother Simon’s Electricity (sister Kaitlyn’s Plant Path was Practical, but she also Spoke and Listened to her plants to better help them thrive. Plants were more of Triple Threat Path: a Practical, Speaking, and Listening Path), Calli could only give Martin tips on how to coax the voices out of things, including humans. He could make his voice be so irresistible that anything or anyone would _want_ to talk to him. Or would do as he said.

“Don’t get it in your head to make your co-workers do what you want, Martin,” Calli admonished, slapping him upside the head lightly as she read his thoughts. Familiars really were like the soul of a person in animal form, and connected to their humans in thought as well as proximity. Calli would follow him to the ends of the earth, probably. She would at least cause some problems at the airfield today…

“Sorry,” Martin replied, writing some notes down in his Book of Shadows. He looked at his watch and sighed, “And we really should get going. Oh, I hope the others understand that you’re a special cat and I _have_ to take you everywhere…”

Calliope smirked a bit, “I’m sure at least one of your co-workers will understand. But if they don’t, you can make something up about anxiety and how having a cat around calms you down so you don’t fly nose-first into a mountain.”

Martin couldn’t help but chuckle and pat his familiar’s head before he stood up, bumping his head against the attic ceiling. He sighed, put his Book of Shadows in his flight bag along with his bell and a novel, and a few more items he would need for a short day trip to Brazil. “Do you need anything?”

“You got a blanket in there?” Calli asked.

Martin paused, pursing his lips. He then took the thin blanket off his bed and threw it among the things in the bag.

“I think we’re ready now,” Calli replied.

*****

When the beautiful woman had graced Carolyn with her presence that morning, Arthur had dropped his coffee cup and scalded his thigh. But the beautiful woman (‘Angelina Crieff, Carolyn!’ MJN’s CEO chided to herself) had only asked to see the wound, and Arthur, of course, had no qualms about shucking off his pants to let the Healer look at it. And that’s when they both found out that, yes, Skipper’s family was a bunch of witches, and that everything that Arthur still believed in (and hell, he had seen many little faeries in his time) were all real.

Oh, and that Martin Crieff would come to work with a cat, a bell, and a large blank book. Not that Carolyn would really see the bell and the book until later that morning. She and Arthur just saw the cat, riding regally on Martin’s shoulders.

Douglas was the only one to be surprised. “Why does our great Captain have a cat?” he asked.

“’Cause he’s a witch!” Arthur said, smiling happily, “Aren’t you, Skip?”

Carolyn was up out of her seat before Douglas could say anything else smarmy and rude to her Captain. “You’re mother came to see us, Martin. You got her hair and face, I see… your eyes must be from your father… Fae eyes, I believe she said.”

Martin was surprised, and exchanged looks with the cat—Martin’s familiar—before nodding.

Douglas shook his head, “No, no, no! You expect me to believe that Martin is a witch with Fae blood in him?”

“You don’t have to believe it,” Martin said, and then added boldly, “But it’s still true.”

“Martin Crieff? Our Martin?” Douglas asked, turning to Carolyn.

“I’ve seen magic happen, Douglas,” Arthur said, yanking on Douglas’s sleeve like a small child. “His mother Healed my leg after I accidently spilled coffee on it. Are you a Healer, Skip?”

The Knapp-Shappeys had heard everything about the Crieffs’ world, including which Paths had chosen which children.

Carolyn flicked her son behind the ear, “He was in the bathroom when your mother explained your Path. Communication. Exciting.”

Martin looked from Arthur to Carolyn, and suddenly smiled. “I’m glad my boss, at least, believes me.”

“Well,” Douglas said, “I believe you’re a witch when I see it, Martin,” he said, sitting at his desk.

Martin shrugged, lifting the shoulder Calliope wasn’t sitting on. “Doesn’t matter, we’ll be flying with Calli in the plane.”

“Not in the flight deck?” Arthur asked.

“Martin didn’t even allow the hypothetical otters in the flight deck. Unless that cat, _Calli_ , is _very_ special,” Douglas muttered.

“She is. But she won’t want to be around me _all_ the time,” Martin said, nodding at something the cat said to him. It sounded like mewing to everyone else.

“Can I play with her, Skip?” Arthur asked.

“Don’t we need to do pre-flight checks and get ready to go?” Martin asked.

Carolyn nodded, “Yes. I’ll see you three—uh, _four_ —off.”

Martin nodded, and he and the cat were the first ones off to the Little Aeroplane That Could.

*****

“There seems to be nothing wrong with her!” called Dave as he came from under the plane, rubbing his hands on a ratty, tattered piece of cloth.

Martin sighed, pacing rapidly, “We’re going to be late! Late! Late! Late!”

They had done their pre-flight checks, started the engine… and then the engine turned off. The engineers had been called in, but only one had come down, and an hour later nothing was found wrong. Apparently, something wrong with the engine meant something wrong with other places. Martin was a bit confused.

Douglas sighed, getting off the deck chair (he had taken the idea to keep one in the hold from Carolyn, of course) and put a hand on Martin’s shoulder, “I say you go home and watch _Charmed_ with some of the students in your building. Looks like we’re not flying today.”

Arthur came out from the PortiCabin, his mother in tow, “Oh, there must be something!” Arthur whined.

“This client is paying us hundreds to fly him nonstop from Brazil to London! This could make or break our financial situation!” Carolyn added.

“Martin…” Calli purred, her tail twitching against Martin’s kneecap.

He picked her up, nodding at what he had to do. Douglas was about to see and believe what he could do, that was for sure. And Carolyn and Arthur, of course. Why was _Douglas_ the one Martin wanted to impress?

Martin shook his head, going to the front of the plane and putting his hand on GERT-I’s nose. “Uhm… hello, GERT-I. As a Communicator of the Crieff Clan… I must… I must _implore_ you to help us all figure out… what’s… what’s _ailing_ you.”

“Ah…” said a new voice. It was deep and rumbling, much like a very old transvestite who smoked too much. “My little captain.”

“Little!” Martin said, bristling slightly.

GERT-I chuckled, “Compared to me, and the rest of your co-workers, yes…”

Martin calmed down a little, “Oh. Okay.”

“Your original query, my little captain?”

Okay, so the nickname was a bit derogatory, but Martin knew the plane didn’t mean it to mean harm. It was… kind of nice. The old plane had a fondness for him, and gave him that nickname out of general affection. It made Martin feel… nice. Like GERT-I was an old grandmother to him… or an old grandfather dressed in his grandmother’s clothes, from the sound of her.

“We need to get you to Brazil, for money for your… owner. But something is clearly wrong with you.”

“Something _is_ wrong with me. My blasted engine!” the plane wailed. “That engineer is a clot! If only he would have checked my engine!”

Martin made soothing noises while petting the plane’s nose. “It’s all right, GERT-I, I will inform the engineer of the problem and we’ll get fixed right away.”

Martin could feel GERT-I’s happiness better than if she could actually smile. “Thank you, my little captain.”

Martin smiled for the plane, lingering and leaning in to the plane’s touch before breaking of the Communication and turning to Dave, Carolyn, Douglas, and Arthur. Carolyn and Arthur looked on in awe, while Douglas and Dave looked on like Martin had finally gone off the deep end.

“GERT-I’s engine. Would you please check it?” Maritn asked, turning on the Charm for Dave, who blinked in a kind of magical stupor before nodding and returning to the plane.

*****

Once GERT-I was fixed (the engine parts had rusted and finally GERT-I just got tired of it), and Martin, Calliope, Douglas, and Arthur were in the air, Martin sneaked a glance at Douglas and found the older gentleman staring at him.

“So you really talked to GERT-I, did you?” Douglas finally asked, turning to face forward again.

“Yes,” Martin replied, bracing himself for more ignorant bile from the other, or at least some more disbelief.

Douglas hesitated before he said, “What did she sound like?”

“And old transvestite. A bit like Tim Curry if he smoked and tried to make his voice seem higher. And was really, really old. With grandkids and everything,” Martin said carefully.

And Douglas actually laughed.

And Martin laughed with him.

And somehow, Martin wanted to show Douglas _everything_ that he could do.

Suffice to say, the flight was smooth sailing, and everyone seemed in awe of Captain Martin Crieff and Calliope Darkfur. And all because of the Crieff Family Legacy.


End file.
